North caroxina



J. B. RESPESS.

RAIL FASTENER. APPLlcATloN FILED Ayaan, 1920.

1,395,596?. Patented Nov; 1, 1921.

1m l. un' 'iEiii- JNVENToR.

JM Eea/'pesi i ATTORNEY. l

UNITED STATES parlarti OFFICE. l

JOHN B. RESPESS, OF WASHINGTON, NORTH (IAROIDIIQA.4

RAILFASTENER.

ySpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Application filed. August 30, 1920. Serial No. 406,951.

provements in fasteners for rails, and has for its primary object toprovide a fastener of this nature capable of being easily and quicklyattached to the tie and to hold the rails firmly secured thereto.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a fastener ofthischaracter constructed in such a manner that the two parts formingthe fastener are capable of being moved laterally into bindingengagement with the base flanges of the rail and simultaneously intotight engagement with the upper surface of the tie.

Still another object of the invention is to rprovide novel means forpreventing the clamping bolt from becoming accidentall disengaged fromthe tie.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tie formed from sheetmetal and so formed as to impart to the rails mounted thereon theresiliency characteristic of the usual Wooden cross-tie.

l/Vith these and other objects in view, this invention resides in thenovel features of construction, formation, combination and arrangementofparts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustratedin the accompanying drawing; in which Figure 1 is a perspective view ofthe device and a section of rail.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the clamping bolt .and lockingwedge.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the fastener, removed from the rail.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the fastening members.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates the tie, which is formed fromsuitable sheet metal and is substantially inverted U-shaped in crosssection, the sides 2 of which are inclined outwardly. The sides 2terminate in 'flanges 3 which engage in the grooves 4 carried by thebottom plate 5, and it will be noted that the flanges 3 do not contactwith the base of the grooves 4. Thus the sides 2 will be permitted togive slightly and impart to the tie the desired resiliency.

The ends 7 of the tie are inclined out,- wardly, and are secured in sucha manner as to prevent relative longitudinal movement of the tie andbase or bottom plate 5.

Y VThe sides 2 are formed with rectangular openings 8, which arearranged in registry for receiving the clamping bolts 9, the purpose ofwhich will appear later.

Each fastener comprises two members, and since they are identical inconstruction the description of one will suffice for both.

VEach member consists of a base 10, and integral end plates 11, saidplates being formed with rectangular openings 12, which are adapted toregister with the openings 8 formed in the sides 2 of the tie 1. Theopenings 12 are of less depththan the openings 8, the purpose of whichwill later appear.

The outer edges of the bases 1() terminate in an inwardly and upwardlyinclined plate 13, which forms in conjunction with the bases 10 grooves14 for receiving the base flanges of the rails 15 in a well knownmanner.

When the opening 8 of the tie and the opening 12 of the plates are inregistry the bolts 9 are passed therethrough, and the wedge members 16engage in the respective openings. These wedge members consist of a head17 and integral fingers 18, said fingers being bent inwardly until theirinner ends engage the body of the bolt 9, and since these members areformed from stout sheet metal it is obvious that the fingers 18 containa small amount of resiliency. The heads 17 are formed with openings 19for receiving the bolts 9, and since one end ofthe bolt is provided witha head and the other with a threaded nut it is obvious that uponmanipulating the nut to draw the wedge members toward each other thatthe fingers 18 thereof will engage the vertical side walls of theopenings 12. Since these plates 11 I carrying the openings 12 arearranged in overlapping relation the inward movement of the wedgemembers 16 will cause the two members of the fastener to move towardeach other, thus firmly clamping the rails therebetween. This is due tothe fact that the fingers 18 engage the opposite outer side walls of therespective openings 12.

As these wedge members are moved inwardly the uppermost fingers 18 willengage thetop walls of the openings 8 only,ithus causing the base plates10 of the fastening members to be drawndownwardl into snug engagementwith the upper sur aceof the tie.

. The lingers 18 being somewhat resilient vvwill be flexed slightly asthe wedge members move inwardly in the respective openings, which actionwill cause the inner ends of the fingers to tightly engage the body 0fthe bolt v9,'thus holding the, same :againsty applied. l

n will be apparent to those Skilled in the art that plates in the shapeof the usual fish plates may be substituted for the plates 13,

whereby the fastener may be used with equal `success at the-points wherethe rails abut.

It will be of course obvious that to apply vthe fasteners it is onlynecessary to place the' same on the tie so that the end plates 1l lieflush against the inclined sides'2 of `the tie 1, after which the bolts9 and the wedge members 16 are manipula-ted to draw the wedges together,thus firmly securing the rail clamped between the fastening members.

The bottom plate 5 has associated there- .with spurs 20 which aredirectedj downwardly and located at the ends of said plate, and serve toengage in the-road ballast to prevent longitudinal movement of the tie.

his plate 'also vhas recesses 2l which are disposed on the sides of theplate for receiving bolts when the tie is used on wooden 40 ties. Whatis claimed is:

Vl. Ina rail fastener, thecombination-with a tie having openings in itssides, of a pair offastening. membersv removably engaged with the tie,and means passable through the members and openings of the tie for,simultaneously drawing the fastening mem- -bers intobinding engagementwith the rail and tie.

y2. In a rail fastener,fthe combination with aj tie having rectangularopenings 1n its sides, of a pair of fastening members having end platesfor engaging the sides of the tie, said plates having rectan laropenings therein and adapted to register with each other and with theopenings in the sides of the tie, wedge members engaged in therespective openings, and means associated with the wedge members fordrawing the same toward each other, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a rail fastener, the combination with a. vsheet'me'tal tie, of Vapair of fastening members having end plates for engaging the sides ofthe tie, the plates and sides of the tie. having openings formedtherein, abolt passable through the respective openings, wedge membersengagedfon the bolt and in the openings, said wedge members havingfingers, and means for forcing the Wedge ,members toward cach other tocause the fastening members togrip the rail and top of the tie, and the:fingers to grip the body of the bolt.

4. Ina rail fastener, the combination with a tie, of a pair of fasteningmembers, said members and the tie `having openings formed thereinr forregistry, wedge members engagedin the respective openings and havingfingers, and'means forforcing the Wedge Vmembers into the openings andthe fingers into binding engagement with the wedge forcing means.` 1 f5. In a rail fastener, the combination with a tief having rectangularopenings formed in its sides, of a pair lof fastening members having endplates for overlapping engagement on `the sides of the tie, said vplateshaving rectangular openings formed therein for registry with the firstnamed openings, and means engaged in the respective openings to move theplates laterally and vertically to simultaneously cause the fasteningmembers to grip the rail therebetween 'and Vb indinglyen'gage the uppersurface ofthe tle.

In testimony whereof I have hereuntoset my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN B. REsPEss.

Vitnesses:

H. R..HUGHEs, SULLIVAN V. "'Joiiria'eola.L

